Home department:
School of Social Work

Faculty adviser:
Shelby McDonald, Ph.D.

I am a doctoral student at the VCU School of Social Work, a graduate research assistant to Shelby McDonald, Ph.D., and a member of the Children, Family and Animals Research Group.

I earned my M.S.W. and certificate in disaster mental health and trauma studies in 2015 and a master's in disaster resilience leadership in 2016 from Tulane University. I earned my bachelor's degree in sociology from Virginia Tech in 2014.

Prior to beginning the doctoral program, I worked as a school social worker in Lynchburg, Va., engaging with elementary to high school aged students and their families, including students in alternative education settings. I hold a pupil personnel license with an endorsement in school social work from the VDOE.

My research interests include trauma and adverse childhood experiences in the context of the decriminalization of trauma in schools.